Raban
|image =Raban.png |caption =Raban in Kaiju Raban |name =Raban |species =Mutated Human |nicknames =None |height =?? meters |length =?? meters |weight =?? tons |forms =Human, Transitional Stage, Raban |allies =None |enemies =Jiro Ikawa, Mechanical Raban |firstappearance =Monster Raban }} Raban is a mutated human created by Shigeru Mizuki that first appeared in the 1958 manga, Monster Raban. Appearance Raban appears heavily dinosaurian, drawing many qualities from Godzilla who's blood was used in Raban's creation. Raban's body is covered in dark and wavy stripes, as well as spots on his forehead, feet, and neck. Raban also draws on some design cues from lizards and snakes, such as his streamlined shape and forked tongue. Raban looks like Titanosaurus but without fins. Before completely transforming into Raban, Ichiro exhibits a transitional stage between being human and becoming the hybrid. In this form, Ichiro's skull becomes completely exposed, and his arms and legs become more reptilian in nature. In this form, Ichiro's natural abilities seemed to be moderately enhanced, as he quickly escaped from the ship despite seemingly being in pain. History ''Monster Raban'' Raban was originally an average scientist named Ichiro Mizuki who went on an expedition to Papua New Guinea with his rival to get a sample of Godzilla's blood, believing it is the key to achieving immortality. The pair manage to track down Godzilla and successfully gather a sample of his blood with an appropriately sized syringe. However, as they are venturing back to their boat they are attacked by a group of natives that impale Ichiro's leg with a poison spear. While Ichiro is incapacitated by the wound, his rival Jiro steals the vial and leaves him for dead. Not knowing that the vial was taken, Ichiro crawls his way back to the ship and reunites with Jiro. Shocked that Ichiro managed to survive, Jiro concocts a plan to kill off his competition once and for all. Jiro tricks Ichiro into being injected with some of Godzilla's blood on the grounds that it is a drug to counteract the spear's poison. Expecting Ichiro to die from the raw blood, Jiro watches in horror as Ichiro mutates into a reptilian creature that then jumps overboard into the water. Jiro returns to Japan where he is treated like a hero. But a short time later Japan is attacked by a new monster who they name Raban. The military initially respond to the attacks with standard military weaponry, but the attempts are ineffective. Left with no other alternatives, Japan turns to their newly proclaimed hero, Jiro. The man announces he will construct a mechanical counterpart to Raban, and use it to destroy the monster. But Jiro's sister Keiko becomes suspicious of her brother, confident that Raban is actually Ichiro, because the monster is wearing the good-luck charm she gave Ichiro before the expedition. With this knowledge, Keiko seeks out Ichiro's mother and discovers Ichiro and Jiro are really brothers. Just as Jiro completes his mechanical Raban, Keiko informs him of her findings and is unable to go on with Raban's death. Jiro desperately asks the Japanese prime minister for money and eventually removes Godzilla's blood from Raban, returning him to human form. Abilities Although Raban is not shown to possess any special abilities, besides extreme strength, it is assumed that the monster inherited some of Godzilla's traits potentially including his atomic breath. Gallery Mutated Ichiro.png|Raban's transitional form Raban Attacking Japan.png Trivia *Raban is the first example of a character or other monster who mutates after being exposed to Godzilla's cells (blood in this case), as well as the first example of a Godzilla-human hybrid. Biollante is the second, with her first appearance being over 30 years later. Category:Non-Toho Monsters Category:Comic Kaiju Category:Monsters Category:Humans